Street-Balling Phenoms Can Save the NBA Dunk Contest

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Another year, another dunk contest ending with Charles Barkley getting an in-ear hushing before his depression over the competition's continued impotence didn't infect everybody. Another failed version — this time, utilizing mostly bench players, which the so-believed true NBA cognoscenti said they knew were the actual best dunkers in the league, while super-athletes named Blake and LeBron smirked, in leather. Another reason to suggest a complete rethinking of one of basketball's most storied competitions.

And so here's what the NBA should do: Bring in street-ballers and pit them against the pros. Let the men who perfect their dunks in local gymnasia and on streetside asphalt compete against the men on the posters. Specifically, guys like these:

Right now, these guys are the real descendants of Vince Carter's elbow dip, Michael's launch, and Jason Richardson's self-ooped through-the-legs reverse. (Though, in a small victory, the number of props decreased this year to about two: a kid and an ode to Charlie Kaufman.) The format can stay the same as this year's: The best from three pros battles the best from three amateurs in the final round. From the video above, we nominate T-Dub, Exile, and absolutely Kenny Dobbs. Though there's also the potential for a social media competition that would be a worthwhile evolution of the league's YouTube prowess.

But for now, forget YouTube. And ignore the fact that such a contest could only grow basketball culture around the globe by letting national broadcast-level hoop dreams linger. Neglect the true hard-luck narratives it'll engender. There's a basic primal competitiveness that this should inspire that could shear off the listless gloss of recent years' contests. Because there have been no men of a certain restive, still-playing-weight-obsessed quinquagenarian breed since Kobe and Vince grew beyond the competition. And there seems to be no respect for the history of the tradition. So maybe bringing in regular guys from off the street will simply, hopefully shame this generation into participating. They'll look too scared to take on amateurs wearing their shoe lines. And they'll appear too unappreciative to play with some of their most talented fans: Sure, you can hug a fan after a half-court shot — but can you dunk with him? Sadly, that might be the only question that'll get an answer other than "I probably could [win]" from the sidelines.